


A Book Store

by benkouji



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: D/s undertones, M/M, Malex Week 2020, Mostly Fluff, because I only know how to write them in helplessly in love idiots, but it’s like squint you miss it undertones, meet ugly prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benkouji/pseuds/benkouji
Summary: Based on the Meet Ugly Prompt 71.  you’re famous and you want to hide out in my bookstore which is fine except the stupid paparazzi won’t leave and now there’s a photo of us in the tabloids and they’re printing misinformation and why the fuck won’t you clear this up on your twitter account
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 5
Kudos: 95
Collections: Malex Week 2020





	A Book Store

“Shit”, Michael sweared under his breath, then out loud, when he recognized the two guys following him the past 20 minutes or so were indeed the paparazzi people.

Normally he wouldn’t mind. He was a big name in music industry and he lived in west Hollywood, being followed by paparazzi was kind of his life now. Sometimes he even gave a smile or exchanged a few words with them, it was good to hold his down-to-earth and easygoing image. But not today.

Today was the wedding day of his ex band member, Max, to make things even bigger, he was marrying Michael’s very good friend Liz. He was supposed to be the best man or at least BE at that wedding. But he wasn’t. Because fuck Max. Fuck him so much.

His publicist wouldn’t let him use the “fuck Max” card as the reason why he didn’t show up at the wedding, which was a shame, because really, fuck that guy. But his publicist was also his sadist sister so he didn’t have a say in this and now he was “doing rehab” and he “could only love the people around him AFTER he loves himself first”. Honestly, with all the bullshit Izzy came up with, she should be in politics rather than in showbiz.

The bullshit now didn’t have a leg to stand on though, since he was apparently strolling down the streets in West Hollywood, sober as ever. Maybe he could act like he was drunk and failing rehab? It wouldn’t be his first rodeo. And he was just about to do that when he noticed one of the paparazzi guys was clearly attempting to approach him and ask a million questions. 

Fuck, he could maybe pull off the drunk act from a distance, but up close? He was a musician, not an actor. He didn’t even do his own music video.

He needed to duck into some place, and he needed to duck fast.

So he entered the first shop he saw, without even noticing the name of it, which turned out to be a book store. And oddly, no one else except for one guy was in it.

Said one guy called out the moment he was in. “Sorry, we’re just about to close for the day. A private book club is gonna start in about an hour. And we need to prepare for it.”

The guy stood in the back of the store, half in shadow. But his voice was both smooth and sexy, Michael was suddenly very interested.

“By ‘we’ you mean you and your imaginary friends, right?” He smirked, taking off his cowboy hat, and flashed his million dollar smile.

“No”, the guy said, slowly, and he walked out of the shadow, a dog trailing after him, “by ‘we’ I mean my beagle and me. And OUR imaginary friends.”

For once, Michael had nothing witty to say back, because never mind the guy’s voice, he was GORGEOUS.

He was wearing a striped button down, some black pants, seemed casual but they hugged his body in all the right places and highlighted his strong biceps and perfectly round ass. He also had full lips, cheek bones that were practically sin materialized, and a pair of the most empathetic and expressive eyes Michael had ever seen. But beyond that, there was something about this guy that pulled at Michael. He was never one to believe love at first sight, but at that moment, he was inclined to at least consider it.

Then the guy widened his eyes, and said: “Oh my God. You are Michael Guerin.”

So this gorgeous man was his fan. Michael didn’t know how to feel about it. But the star-instinct kicked in, and he replied, fan-service smile firmly in place: “Yes, in the flesh. You wanna do a selfie together? I can sign it for you.”

The guy snorted. Honest to God snorted. Michael felt a bit insulted. “No, I mean, you’re Michael Guerin, the one Maria wouldn’t shut up about.”

And the realization hit Michael. “You are Alex? Alex Manes? The one Maria said would be PERFECT for me just because you named your book store ‘A Book Store’ and I named every albums of mine ‘An Album”, ‘Another Album’?”

“Hey, don’t you forget ‘Yet another Album’ and ‘The Fourth One’, they’re equally important.” Alex deadpanned, eyes twinkling.

Came to think about it, love at first sight DEFINITELY had its appeal.

Michael couldn’t help himself, he stepped forward, wanting to continue the conversation while being near Alex. He was too busy staring into Alex’s eyes to notice the pile of books on the floor between them.

He tripped over the books, lost his balance, and was caught by Alex’s strong arms. All in all, it was very romcom-y.

Except when he steadied himself in Alex’s half embrace, looked up at him, their faces only an inch or so apart, there was a flashlight through the window, and when he turned around, a camera was pointing right at them.

To make things worse, because Alex was also startled by the flashlight, he turned to Michael, and their lips somehow touched for a millisecond.

A second flashlight.

When Michael hurried to the door, the paparazzi guys were already gone.

He sighed, and turned to Alex, whose relaxed demeanor was also gone, instead he appeared angry and tense.

“Sorry about that...”

“They are not gonna publish that, are they?” Alex interrupted him, impatiently.

Michael was a little hurt by that, what the fuck. He didn’t even know the guy! 

“Don’t worry”, he turned cold too, “my publicist will take care of it. And even if she couldn’t, I can just post something on my Twitter account to clear the whole thing up.”

Alex pinched his nose. “I’m sorry if I’m being a little harsh. But I’m a private person, I don’t want my face on some tabloid and be recognized on a daily basis just because of some misunderstanding.”

So he did know what a big name Michael was. Interesting.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it.” And with that, he was gone.

——————————————

The headline of the tabloid next day read “Drowning in alcohol? More like drowning in love! Ex-‘The-Aliens’ lead singer turned solo Artist Michael Guerin avoided his ex band member’s wedding for the search of his own love story.”

It was a mouthful, not to mention totally untrue. But Michael stared at the picture they used, and ignored Izzy’s angry yell.

They didn’t use the one they accidentally kissed, just the one when Michael almost fell and Alex caught him.

He was looking up at Alex, a little startled, but he was also smiling a little, as if saying “hey, you caught me”, and his eyes were full of adoration.

Alex was smiling too, some amusement in his expression, but he was also very gentle and soft, his left hand was on Michael’s right arm to steady him, his right was in the air, near his hair, as if he was about to brush his messy curls behind his ears.

They appeared so loving and sweet Michael almost stopped breathing for a moment.

He didn’t try to clear it up using any social media.

———————————

The call came on the third day after the “incident”.

“Why the fuck haven’t you done anything to clear that up?” Alex said, without a hello.

Michael, being the little shit he was, naturally replied: “Who is this and how do you get my personal number?”

“Cut the bullshit, Guerin”, wow, so when Alex was angry, he sounded even sexier. “Maria told me you had already asked for my number when I asked her for your number. You probably knew it was me from the first ring. So don’t stall, answer the question.”

“You know, Maria told me you’re ex military. A captain even? Any chance you might wear your uniform someday? Combine that with your commanding voice, maybe I’ll do just whatever you want me to do.” He was not even joking.

Alex was silent for a minute. Then he said, low and sure. “If you want me to bend you over my lap and spank you, you’d have to be a MUCH BETTER boy than that.”

Michael was suddenly having trouble sitting down, his jeans tight, hands sweating, he choked out: “How better?”

“Clear the damn mess up, Michael.” He hung up.

————————————

After Michael finally came clean about the whole encounter via twitter, he received a text from Alex.

“Good Boy.”

A second text.

“Friday night, 2100. My place.” He didn’t give the address.

No matter, Michael would be there, like the good boy he was.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in less than an hour. The most difficult part of this fic was trying to think of the tabloid headline. Paparazzi is a tough business y’all.


End file.
